Some Fans Are Just Never Satisfied...

and why should they be? I guess I've made that point before. The red, white, and blue team (when they're playing at home--mostly) finally lost their patience with Brett Tomko's performances in the rotation and signed David Wells. Some of the more perfecting fans decry the move as more money thrown at a veteran when a younger player could do the same job or better. However, Tony Jackson of the daily news got the organization to explain why the younger alternative in James McDonald, wasn't ready for a callup and would not be called up this season. I'm not going to fix that marooned "T". Anyways it seems like a good argument as to why they went outside the organization for a starting pitcher. I like the move. I don't think Boomer is the second coming. I do think when your team has lost three guys that can start in Jason Schmidt, Randy Wolf, and Hong Chi Kuo, in addition to relievers Chin Hui Tsao, and Yhency Brazoban, that beggars certainly can't be choosers.

There aren't better alternatives waving their hands like exiles on homemade boats begging MLB teams to scoop them up and let them pitch that are any better than Boomer. And unfortunately, the dodgers just don't have any more pitching prospects ready to step into the rotation like Chad Billingsley did this year. Kershaw is a year or two away. McDonald we might see next year. Elbert and Morris are injured. They just aren't ready. The argument doesn't work.

Now if all the fans decrying the fact the dodgers signed wells want to make arguments for sticking with Brett Tomko over David Wells I'd love to hear the reasoning as Tomko has never pitched as well as Boomer in his entire career and never will. Even in the current year where Wells posted the worst w.h.i.p. since his rookie season he is still just a smidgen better than Tomko's current w.h.i.p. So at worst it will probably be a break-even move.

The GM is doing his job here in trying to improve the team. The team isn't spending anything but a roster spot and cash. Worst case scenario is there is little to no improvement over Tomko's line. Low cost potentially low to moderate reward. Wells isn't blocking any young pitchers as we all know he is a free spirit and if he doesn't retire will be back on the yankees or padres depending upon how the wind is blowing in the offseason. But anyways, I want to hear these alternatives to Wells. I myself would want Proctor and/or Stults put into the rotation, but I'd still want Wells. Dodgers only have 3 real starters right now in Lowe, Penny, and Billingsley, the other two slots are up for grabs. I don't wanna see another Tomko start. I don't think Grady or the rest of his teammates want to see that either. But I digress...

The upside to Wells over Tomko is based on knowledge. He's had back problems. Most recently he had problems with his knee and a foot. His conditioning will always be an issue (hopefully he's been working out during his layoff and really did make lifestyle changes he stuck with after the type 2 diabetes diagnosis). If he's been a good boy, he probably won't pitch as badly as his current season numbers. If he's been a bad boy, he's probably going to get rocked. I think Wells is such a competitor that the 2007 line is not one he wanted to leave the game with. Otherwise he wouldn't have signed with another west coast competitor again. In addition, to go out having just been dfa'd is not how a guy like Wells saw himself leaving the game either. Maybe he's been a bad boy and just wants to leave the game on his own terms.

Tomko on the other hand is a guy who can throw the ball well (94 ish fastball) but somehow manages to get knocked up like 'A Baby Story' mother. They (scouts and baseball people) say his problems are all mental and if he ever figured them out he'd pitch great. Unfortunately he can never consistently get over whatever it is that keeps him from performing well. The guy is 34 now. If he hasn't figured it out yet he probably isn't gonna.

So we have one guy that used to pitch great and is getting older and fatter and just may have lost the physical ability to pitch like he used to, yet you still see the glimpses of greatness. The other guy is younger and can still throw very well but can't add the mental aspects of the game to the physical consistently resulting in a lot of poor performance unrelated to his physical ability to play the game. Whom do you count on down the stretch? Put that way Tomko sounds a lot better. Still doesn't make me like him after seeing his last two starts and viewing both of their numbers side by side.

Hopefully Wells is joining the dodgers because he feels still has something to prove. I saw that masterful pitcher a few times on NESN playing for the yankees against the red sox and visa versa. When he is on he is really on despite looking like a bowling ball that happens to have limbs. If I see half to two thirds of that pitcher in 4 of his starts, I'll be happy.

Whatever he brings it can't be worse than Bombko.

2:58 pm pst Update: per Inside the Dodgers Tomko was designated for assignment.

I guess we can the criticism that Ned is Bush-ish in his loyalty to players from former organizations. Maybe not, Ned did hold onto the guy for an awfully long time of poor performance before letting him go. Then again maybe so since he did only cost 4 mil a year while making quite a few starts for the dodgers the last two years. I'm not going to come to a decision on this one since I don't have to because he's gone now. Thank goodness...

Please David Wells, don't pitch how you look, please!